Four Austin Cardio Workouts to Try

Work up a sweat during these workouts in honor of American Heart Month

By Madeline Hollern

Published: January 29, 2017

Ready for a rush of endorphins? In honor of American Heart Month, we scoured the city for four hard-core cardio classes to try this February. Grab a water bottle and a towel and get mentally prepared, because these workouts are designed to get your heart racing.

Signature class at Crush Fitness

Go the distance during Crush Fitness’ signature high-intensity interval training class, which features two rounds of sprinting and running on the treadmill followed by strength-training exercises. The demanding 55-minute session requires endurance, so it’s a little intimidating for non-runners, but the upbeat instructor and pulsating music will keep your spirits high throughout. For a slightly different workout that focuses on the midsection, try the recently debuted Cardio + Core class, which alternates between distance, hill, and sprint training and core-strengthening exercises. On your mark, get set, go!300 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. O, (512) 480-0077, crushfitness.com

Barefoot Cardio Burn at Tetra Fitness

You’ll feel the heat during and after this intense 60-minute session, which takes place in a dark room where the temperature’s set between 85 and 90 degrees. Get hot and sweaty as you perform moves including active yoga poses, lifting sequences with weights and medicine balls, and countless squat- and lunge-based movements. (My thighs are shaking just remembering those lunges.) Be sure to wear moisture-wicking clothing, and bring a yoga mat or rent one for $2. This tough-as-nails workout will test your mettle, but I left feeling empowered.1717 W. Sixth St., Ste. 110-R, (512) 480-0262, tetrafitness.com

Brawl at The Barre Code

Get your kicks during Brawl, the new boxing-inspired workout at The Barre Code. Wear grippy socks for this 50-minute sweat session, which includes cardio kickboxing sequences full of kicks and jabs (sans boxing gloves), as well as strengthening exercises for the glutes and thighs at the ballet barre and on the padded floor. It might take a few rounds to get your coordination in order, but once you nail the choreography, you’ll be hooked.2300 S. Lamar Blvd., (802) 233-5187, thebarrecode.com

Cardio Rō at Rō Fitness Indoor Rowing

This winter you don’t need to shiver on Lady Bird Lake to get a full-body rowing workout. Rō Fitness boasts high-tech Concept2 Indoor Rowing machines that combine cardio and strength training with each stroke. Before the class, the instructor will teach you how to do the rowing motion—bend your knees and reach your arms forward, push out with your legs, swing back using your core and pull the handle to your chest, then reverse the movement. The instructor will check your form and offer adjustments throughout the class, which features several fast-paced rounds of rowing with small breaks between. Each machine has its own screen with your workout data, so you can track your meters and watch the time as you row. While the class feels really competitive, you’re only competing against yourself, trying to hit the same number of meters each round. The club-worthy music will inspire as you row, row, row to the beat. (Photo by Amy Gritton)Rō Downtown, 74 Trinity St.; Rō Tarrytown, 2425 Exposition Blvd., Ste. E-1; (512) 815-3013, rofitness.com